Swimming Lessons
by Gokartgirl
Summary: It's summer. It's hot. What better way to cool down than to go swimming? Oh wait. But what if you can't swim? We'll just have to fix that. A/N I'm giving this a T rating for possible language later.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N reasons for this story 1) the content will be needed in future stories. 2) I have yet to find a single story about the Isle 4 learning to swim [I've seen one that involves them drowning tho]. 3) I thought it would be fun. 4) the story I was working on that was originally going to be next has come to a sudden stop because I have run out of ideas :P**

Summer vacation had arrived at Auradon Prep. All the students were packing up their dorm rooms and heading home for rest and relaxation. As the students bid farewell to the school until fall, five students stayed. There wasn't anywhere else for them to go. They lived here.

Mal breathed in the peace and quiet as she sketched on the steps on the empty dormitory. Evie strolled through the school gardens, thinking of new designs based on the beautiful summer flowers. Carlos took total advantage of the free range as he and an unleashed Dude ran and played across the whole campus. Jay used the trails through the forest as an obstacle course, climbing trees and jumped over rocks. Ben sat in a windowseal of the library, reading a book to satisfy his boredom.

The young king sighed and stared out the window. It was a beautiful day. It was getting hotter as the sun rose higher into the sky. His first instinct on a day like today was to go to the lake, but he promised Mal he would never swim alone after he scared her on their first date. Ben chuckled at the notion. What did it really matter if Mal came with him to the lake? If something were to happen, she couldn't swim to save him.

Ben shock up from his place at the window. He had an idea. It was a crazy idea, but it would be good in the long run. He hoped. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to his four friends: "Meet me in the gym in one hour. I have a surprise for you guys."

The king quickly left the library in search of some servants for help. If he was going to pull this off, he was going to need a lot of help.

Mal and Evie sat on the bleachers, talking and waiting for the boys to arrive. The door opening caught their attention. Dude's claws on the hardwood floor echoed through the empty room as he trotted into the gym. Carlos and Jay slowly came in behind the dog. Both boys were panting and dropping sweat.

"What have you been doing?" Mal lightly laughed at the sweat brothers.

"Dude and I h-have been running." Carlos huffed as he sprawled out on the cool floor beside his dog.

"I was working out in the woods. It's hot!" Jay stated, wiping sweat beads off of his forehead.

"I agree!" The group turned to see Ben walking across the gym to them.

"There you are. So what's this surprise you have for us?" Mal asked. She and Evie stepped down from the bleachers.

Ben hugged his girlfriend and smiled at his friends. "I figured since it is so hot today that we should all go swimming."

Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos exchanged looks. Jay and Carlos burst out laughing. Evie was shocked speechless. Mal gave Ben an expression that said "you've lost your mind." Ben's smile faltered.

"That's funny, man." Jay playfully punched Ben's arm.

"Ben, you know we can't swim." Evie pointed out.

Ben's eyes softened and his smile was supportive. "I know. That's exactly why I want you all to go swimming with me. I'm going to teach you how to swim."

Jay's and Carlos's smiles fell. Evie gulped. Mal stepped back to look at her boyfriend.

"I know what you're thinking, but it's fun. Not to mention knowing how to swim could save your life or someone else's." Ben slid his hand into Mal's and entwined his fingers with hers.

Magical green eyes met beastly hazel. Mal knew he was right. She had jumped into that lake to save him, but she couldn't even safe herself. As scary as it seemed, they had to learn to swim, even if they never willingly got in water again.

Mal turned to the other three. They had the same understanding in their eyes. The purple haired girl sighed. "How do we start?"

Ben's face split into a wide smile. "First we need to get you all swimsuits. Then you'll be fitted for life jackets, and we can start the lesson." the king informed his friends as he lead them toward some servants waiting at the door. Ben realized that this was not going to be easy in any way, shape, or form; however, things were off to a better start than he expected. Guess he switched into running shoes for nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Ben paced beside the pool. It had been half an hour since he sent his friends to get swimsuits with the servants. He had expected Evie to take a while in choosing her swimwear, maybe Mal too, but not Jay and Carlos.

The door to the pool room opened. Ben spun around to see Mal enter in a dark purple halter top with black straps and purple shorts with green trim. Not too girly but still stylish. That's Mal.

"You look beautiful." Ben smiled lovingly at her.

A slight blush crept up to Mal's cheeks. "Thank you. My outfit isn't as personalized as your crowns." she giggled.

"How do I look?" The couple turned around to see Evie twirling in her new two piece. The bottoms were a navy blue tutu style miniskirt with a gold waistband. Her top was strapless with a red heart charm in the center.

"Awesome! Good choice, E" Mal complimented.

"Thank you. I picked the boys swimsuits too. Come on, guys!" Evie called.

Jay and Carlos walked in as ordered. Jay had on board shorts that started deep red at the top and faded down to a sandy yellow at the bottom. Carlos's swim trunks had a black leg and a white leg with red pockets.

"I don't like these things. I keep getting a weggy." Carlos complained as he pulled at his trunks.

"You'll barely notice it once you get used to them." Ben assured him with a chuckle. "Now put these on and we'll get in the pool." He handed out life jackets.

The four quickly put on the life jackets. They stood at the end of the pool. Carlos leaned over the edge to look at the liquid of death. Unfortunately he leaned a little too far. The smallest boy fell into the pool.

"Carlos!" Evie screamed. Mal gasped. Jay moved to jump in after his friend but stopped himself.

Carlos resurfaced spitting, sputtering, and flailing. "Help! Help me! I'm drowning!" he begged.

Ben sat on the side of the pool with his feet on the water. "Carlos." he called calmly.

"I'm too young to die!"

"Carlos..."

"Goodbye, cruel world!"

"Carlos! Stand up!"

Carlos planted his feet on the bottom of the pool, causing him to stop panicing. He stood up to realize he was in barely chest deep water. That's pretty shallow considering he's the shortest of the group.

"Oh. Whoops." Carlos said sheepishly.

Both girls sighed in relief before giggling at the boy.

Once everyone was in the pool, Ben had his friends walk around in the shallow end to get used to the feeling of being in water. Jay was frustrated by not being able to move as well.

"I want you guys to lie on your back. Arms and legs extended." Ben instructed as he demonstrated.

"What's the point of this?" Evie asked. She managed to float on her back after one attempt.

"This will keep you above water without much effort. You do this when you get tired so you can rest." the king explained.

Ben taught the four some simple strokes and how to tread water. He was surprised by how quickly they were picking up the lessons. Evie was swimming around well enough that you wouldn't have known this was her first time in a pool. Carlos and Jay were having contests to see who could hold their breath longer. Mal felt comfortable enough in the water to move to the deep end to practice.

As the group's confidence grew, they began playing games. Jay seemed to always be it for Marco Polo, and Mal never got caught. They put girls against boys for a volleyball game. Ben swears Evie and Mal were using magic because the boys kept losing. Chicken fights lasted about a minute. The teens agreed to stop when Ben nearly hit his head on the edge of the pool.

They were having so much fun that no one noticed Belle walking into the pool room. The woman smiled at the teens' giggling, squealing, and splashing.

"Enjoying yourselves?" the former queen finally spoke.

"Yeah! We are." Jay smiled as he splashed the girls again.

"Well you must be considering you're late for dinner." Belle told them.

Ben looked at the clock. It was 7:30. They got in the pool at 3:00.

"Climb out of there. Go dry off and change. Lumiere hasn't brought your plates to the table so your food should still be warm if you hurry." Belle has treated Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos like her own children since the coronation. They eat with the royal family, Belle checks their homework, and Adam makes bad dad jokes when they're around.

"Yes ma'am." the teens climbed out of the pool and pick up the towels Belle had carried in.

"So when's the next lesson?" Mal asked as they headed toward the locker rooms.

"If you all can move in the morning, we can come back tomorrow." Ben smirked.

"What do you mean if we can move?" Carlos eyed the king questioningly.

Ben chuckled. "You'll understand tomorrow."

Mal groaned when she woke up the next morning. Her body was numb, but it hurt at the same time. She pried her eyes open. The clock on her nightstand said 9:45. She normally gets up at 9:00.

"Evie?" she called.

Evie moaned in response.

"Can you feel anything?"

"No."

"So no swimming today?"

"No."

"Good."

None of the teens got out of bed until noon.

 **A/N Carlos is so easy to pick on. That's it for this one. I was gonna make it a one shot, but I couldn't think of what to do when I started chapter one. The next story will either be a one shot Devie (DougxEvie) story or a multi chapter adventure with the whole group. I'll just see what I can come up with. Tell me what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N a little extension to Swimming Lessons. I was on a roll with this story but my mom distracted me near the end and I could not for the life of me remember what I was gonna type. So the end is kinda just thrown together. Sorry y'all :P**

"Are you coming?" Mal called over her shoulder.

"Yes. Just give a minute. I'm carrying everything, remember?" Ben answered as he neared the enchanted lake. A backpack hanging from one shoulder and a picnic basket in his arms.

"I offered to help." Mal giggled, taking the basket of food from her boyfriend.

"I could handle it. I just couldn't go running through the forest." Ben took off his backpack and pulled out a blanket and two towels.

Mal set out the lunch she had packed: cheese sandwiches, purple stuff (Lumiere's grey stuff recipe with Mal's personal touch), and strawberries. She popped a small strawberry into her mouth, melting at the sweet taste. Ben sometimes joked that Mal loved strawberries more than him. It was debatable at times.

Ben sat down on the blanket and took a sandwich. He bit into it and hummed. "You are quite the cook, Mal. I think this is best cheese sandwich I've ever had." the king teased.

"Why, thank you, your majesty. I slaved for hours to prepare this feast." Mal gestured to the food.

"Well you deserve a reward for your hard work." Ben smiled.

"A reward? What kind of reward?" she asked.

"A break." Ben stood up and held his hand out for the girl to take. "I believe a relaxing swim in the enchanted lake would suffice."

Mal laughed and took her boyfriend's hand. "That sounds nice."

Ben crouched down to grab his swim trucks out of the backpack. When he stood up, he quickly slapped his hand over his eyes. Mal had started to take her shirt off.

"You can look. I have my swimsuit on under my clothes." she giggled, taking her top the rest of the way off.

Ben hesitantly peaked out from behind his hand. Mal did indeed have her two piece on. The boy blushed madly from embarrassment.

"Well I don't so I'm going behind that rock to change." he said before disappearing.

Mal slowly slid into the lake. The water was cold compared to the hot summer air. It felt good, but she could also feel goosebumps forming across her body. Mal finally took a deep breath and slipped underwater.

The enchanted lake felt completely different from the Auradon Prep pool. It was almost indescribable. The lake was so much purer than the chlorine pool. Naturally clean. Magically perfect. Mal could see everything as she swam through the crystal clear water. She wanted to breath in the freshness of the lake, but thankfully her logical mind wouldn't allow it.

The peaceful underwater world was disturbed by a large splash. Ben had jumped in. He swam to Mal, smiling at her amazed expression. The boy pointed up and pushed the girl to the top.

Mal surfaced with a gasp. She hadn't realized how long she'd been under or how much she needed air.

"I thought air being a necessity was one of the first things we covered in King Ben's Swim School." Ben chuckled.

"I don't think I was paying attention during that lesson." Mal joked.

"Come on. I wanna show you something." Ben said.

The couple swam toward the waterfall on the other side of the lake. When they neared the base, Ben took a deep breath and dove under the roaring waterfall. Mal hesitated for a moment before following him.

Ben was heading to an opening in the rocks behind the pounding water. He motioned for his girlfriend to follow him inside. The opening to the cavern was large enough to swim through with ease but small enough to make someone unfamiliar with it a little wary.

Mal's eyes widen as they entered the heart of the cavern. The cave was an air pocket. When she surfaced, the sight for her wouldn't let her breathe. The cave walls where littered with crystals like the one Ben had tried to give her on their first date.

"Impressive. Huh?"

Mal just nodded. She was speechless.

"I found this place when I was about 8. My mother brought me here to the lake. I wanted to see the waterfall so she let me as long as I stayed within her sight. Obviously if I found this place, I didn't. She reacted kinda like you did. She called my name a couple of times and jumped in after me. I gave her one of the crystals when I got back to her." Ben chuckled at the memory before sighing. "If my mother wasn't as kind-hearted and forgiven as she is, she probably would have beaten me black and blue for scaring her like that. She was still furious with me. I don't think ever heard her raise her voice so much at anyone before in my life. She kept the rock though." Ben smirked.

Mal laughed. The idea of sweet Queen Belle being on the same level of angry as she was on when Ben pulled his disappearing act was a little hard to imagine. She was so gentle. Of course no one ever questioned the queen's strength. This was the woman stood up to and was able to love a menacing beast after all. Anger just didn't seem to be in Belle's nature, but good never seemed to be in Mal's so anything is possible.

"She couldn't have been that bad. I mean you're talking to the girl whose mother is the Mistress of Evil." she reminded the king.

"Well it was pretty bad for my standards. That was probably the first time I was ever afraid of one of my parents, and I've seen my dad rage quite a few times." Ben threw a pebble into the water.

"That's hardly something to be afraid of. She was just worried about you. She was angry because she loves you and doesn't want to lose you." Mal skipped a pebble across the water.

Ben looked at his girlfriend. Her expression was emotionless, and her eyes were distant. It was a look the boy had picked up on even before Mal spelled him. She was thinking of her own mother again. He took the girl's hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

"Mal, you won't see hate-filled anger again, not as long as I'm alive." Ben spoke softly. Mal faced him. "The only anger you'll see is the kind that comes out of love and concern, whether it be from me or our friends or my parents. I won't let anyone hurt you, especially your m-."

The king's speech was interrupted by Mal's lips meeting his for the first time.

It was big talk that wasn't very realistic, but Ben meant every word with every fiber of this being. He just wanted Mal to be safe and happy, but Mal didn't care if she got hurt. She could handle it. She was strong enough to take pain. As long as Ben was with her, she would walk through Hell and flip off her mother as she went. No matter what they faced, they would protect each other and be strong when the other couldn't be. They were both stubborn like that.


End file.
